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User profile for user: mg_12
mg_12 Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Cannot Restore Photo Library From A Time Machine Backup on an External Drive

I recently purchased a new MacBook Pro 2019 after my MacBook Pro 2015 was stolen. 

I used an external drive (Seagate) to backup my old Mac using Time Machine, but when I set up the new Mac I decided not to restore everything from this backup and just import whatever I currently need. 


One of the things I wanted to import was my photo library, but when I try to do this I get the following error message: "Cannot import items: These Items cannot be added to your Photo library because the file format is not supported by Photos". 

Does anyone know how to fix this? 


Additional information:

  • I didn't use iCloud to backup my library and I don't have any other backup of these photos.
  • All the photos in my library were imported from my iPhone and I've never had any problems with their format before.
  • I'm trying to restore the photos from the file "photo library" that's located in: Latest (backup) > Macintosh HD > Users > my username > Pictures . Perhaps it's the wrong file/location?


I also thought about 2 possible solutions. Do you think they will work?:

  1. Restoring the photo library to an older Mac 
  2. Re-setting the new Mac and then restoring all files from the external drive while setting it up


Thanks in advance for any help! 


*Please ignore the fact that it says my device is a current pro Desktop!

Current Pro Desktops

Posted on Jan 6, 2020 6:25 PM

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,705 points

Posted on Jan 7, 2020 2:50 AM

Are you trying to import the Photos Library into Photos? It is not possible to import a Photos Library into another library.

You can only open a library in Photos, for example by double clicking the library you want to open, but Photos cannot import libraries to merge them into the current library libraries. Your Photos Library needs to be restored to the Pictures folder, before Photos can use it.

I'm trying to restore the photos from the file "photo library" that's located in: Latest (backup) > Macintosh HD > Users > my username > Pictures . Perhaps it's the wrong file/location?

Photos cannot open a library, while it is part of a Time Machine backup.


Try the following: Restore the Photos Library from your Time Machine backup to the Pictures folder with Time Machine. A library cannot be simply copied from the Time Machine backup, because the internal links will not be recreated correctly; you have to use Time Machine to restore it.

    • First rename your current Photos Library so it will not be overwritten, if you have a new library with new photos in this library.
    • Then open the Pictures folder on your new Mac in the Finder. Now launch Time Machine and browse the backup of your old Mac in Time Machine.
    • Go back in time(in the time line to the right) to the time you want to recover the library from. Select the Photos Library in the Pictures folder and click the Restore button. Or ctrl-click the library and select "Restore to .." to select a different folder. The Pictures folder would be best.

Now you can double-click the restored Library to open it in Photos.


It should look like this in Time Machine:


If you did not use the Time Machine backup to set up the new Mac, your new Mac will not have inherited the backup. Then you have to tell Time Machine to "Browse other Backup Disk"; when you launch Time Machine. Hold down the options key ⌥ when you enter Time Machine and select the old backup volume.


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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,705 points

Jan 7, 2020 2:50 AM in response to mg_12

Are you trying to import the Photos Library into Photos? It is not possible to import a Photos Library into another library.

You can only open a library in Photos, for example by double clicking the library you want to open, but Photos cannot import libraries to merge them into the current library libraries. Your Photos Library needs to be restored to the Pictures folder, before Photos can use it.

I'm trying to restore the photos from the file "photo library" that's located in: Latest (backup) > Macintosh HD > Users > my username > Pictures . Perhaps it's the wrong file/location?

Photos cannot open a library, while it is part of a Time Machine backup.


Try the following: Restore the Photos Library from your Time Machine backup to the Pictures folder with Time Machine. A library cannot be simply copied from the Time Machine backup, because the internal links will not be recreated correctly; you have to use Time Machine to restore it.

    • First rename your current Photos Library so it will not be overwritten, if you have a new library with new photos in this library.
    • Then open the Pictures folder on your new Mac in the Finder. Now launch Time Machine and browse the backup of your old Mac in Time Machine.
    • Go back in time(in the time line to the right) to the time you want to recover the library from. Select the Photos Library in the Pictures folder and click the Restore button. Or ctrl-click the library and select "Restore to .." to select a different folder. The Pictures folder would be best.

Now you can double-click the restored Library to open it in Photos.


It should look like this in Time Machine:


If you did not use the Time Machine backup to set up the new Mac, your new Mac will not have inherited the backup. Then you have to tell Time Machine to "Browse other Backup Disk"; when you launch Time Machine. Hold down the options key ⌥ when you enter Time Machine and select the old backup volume.


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Cannot Restore Photo Library From A Time Machine Backup on an External Drive

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